Finding new ways to incorporate solar technology into commercial trucking, specifically refrigeration, is taking the next step.
Lafayette, Indiana-based Wabash (WNC), a truck and trailer body OEM, has announced it's the recipient of a $1.6 million grant from the Department of Energy's (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) for a three-year research and development project in partnership with the University of Delaware's Center for Composite Materials that will focus on integrating solar energy into refrigerated trailers and truck bodies.
“This project has the potential to revolutionize refrigerated transport by reducing reliance on the electrical grid and minimizing overall emissions,” said Michael Bodey, director of technology discovery and innovation at Wabash. “While many of today’s zero-emission products focus on tailpipe emissions, they still draw power from energy grids, which often rely on non-renewable sources. Our goal is to offer a truly green solution - a well-to-wheel approach - that accounts for the full life cycle of energy consumption, from production to usage.”
Wabash, already a major player with its connected solutions in the transportation, logistics, and distribution industries, says it plans to use its advanced EcoNex technology, described as a composite material that enhances thermal efficiency and reduces energy consumption.
For its part, the University of Delaware will take advantage of its own proprietary technology, called TuFF, which recycles aerospace-grade carbon fiber in order to strengthen and lighten trailers as well as truck bodies.
“By incorporating lightweight solar panels and utilizing EcoNex Technology in refrigerated trailers and truck bodies, we are addressing two of the most significant barriers to electrification: weight and energy consumption,” Bodey explained. “EcoNex not only improves the insulation and performance of the trailers but also contributes to overall weight reduction, making the solution even more efficient.”
Powering a pure battery-electric truck is no easy task. They require batteries that weigh between 5,000 to 10,000 pounds, hefty figures that can limit payload capacity and require significant amounts of energy from the grid during charging.
One of the project's chief goals is to develop technologies that reduce energy and weight.
“TuFF is the world’s strongest short fiber composite that is reciprocal with sustainable solutions to the mobility industry. It’s great to collaborate with Wabash on building the most sustainable solar panel integrated refrigerated trailer for the trucking industry,” said Srikanth Pilla, UD PI and director of the Center for Composites Materials at the University of Delaware.
This initiative is part of the DOE's Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-use Photovoltaics Incubator Funding Program, which supports PV technology advancements in the supply chain. Wabash hopes the project will lead to the creation of a flexible solar energy system that's CARB-compliant for different types of mid-mile transportation vehicles without requiring fully electrified platforms.
